Despite suffering until the very last minute, Portugal got what it was looking for, a late win over Denmark giving it three golden points and getting it off the mark in Group B. The Portuguese dropped off notably in the second half, allowing Morten Olsen’s side to equalise. However, a stunning finish from Varela in the dying minutes breathed life back into Portugal’s European Championship campaign.

Having fallen to Germany in its opener, Portugal came into the game desperate for the win, conscious that anything other than three points would leave it with one foot out of the competition.

Although Paulo Bento’s men started like a house on fire, it was the Danes who had the better of the first few minutes, creating danger by pumping high balls into the box. As Cristiano Ronaldo began to get more involved, though, the Real Madrid star sparked a somewhat lethargic Portugal into life, finding space, spurring on his team and helping Portugal to a first-half lead.

However, the pressure on Ronaldo was notable, with the forward asking for the ball to be played to his feet to begin moves and gesticulating wildly when his teammates gave him something more difficult to work with.

With Portugal taking a 2-1 lead into half-time, the ‘Danish Dynamite’ was forced to come out with a bang in the second half if it wanted to turn the match around.

A vastly improved performance saw it really get at its opponent and its reward came in the 79th minute, when Jacobsen put in a tantalising cross to the far post and Bendtner powered home for his second headed goal of the match.

Just when the match began to fall into a lull, Varela’s screamer reawakened Portugal’s European Championship dreams. After failing to make proper contact with his initial shot following a cross from the left, he pounded his second effort in at the near post.